History

1950s

1959: York School opened in 1959 in Pacific Grove with 12 boys in the 7th grade. Rev. Emod Brunner, the first headmaster, along with Bishop Morse and the first trustees, launched the school with a firm eye on college preparation, academic rigor, and whole life skills. From the beginning, there was a commitment to providing access to a world class education for motivated students from a wide variety of backgrounds.

1960s

1964:The school moved to its current location on land secured by the McIntosh and Bishop families near the old Laguna Seca Ranch. The main campus classrooms and Day Hall (originally Bishop Block Building), a multipurpose building and dormitory, with kitchen, dining room, and study hall, were constructed.

1965: Originally a boarding and day school for boys, the first graduating class of 11 students was awarded diplomas on the Coburn Commons.

1969:The Frank C. Bishop Library was completed and becomes the hub of student life.

1970s

1970: The school phased out boarding and welcomed girls, becoming the first preparatory school on the Peninsula to go co-ed.

1971: York graduates include female students for the first time.

1974: With the ACLU, York argues for and wins the right for girls to play on boys' interscholastic golf and tennis teams. The legal battle paves the way for schools throughout the state to form coed athletic teams.

1980s

1983: Extensive campus remodeling includes the addition of the $1.5 million Maurine Church Coburn Activity Center, including the chapel, gym, theater, and central commons.

1989: York celebrates its 30th Anniversary with an all-school service day.

1990s

1991: York is recognized as a Blue Ribbon School of Excellence by the U.S. Department of Education.

1999: York celebrates its 40th Anniversary and launches its first capital campaign.

2000s

2003: The 9,000-square-foot green Science Building is completed, the first green building in Monterey County. It incorporates a solar energy system and 30 environmentally sustainable elements.

2007: Mandarin Chinese is added to York's world language program, the first on the Peninsula.

2008: York School becomes the first school to be certified as a Monterey Bay Area Green Business.

2009: York School celebrates its 50th anniversary with a year-long series of Think Forward Forum lectures, a school-wide Lorax in the Schools service day, and a gala celebratory event. A time capsule is installed in the Science Building to be opened in 2059.

2010: The school produces more than 50% of its electricity.

2010s

2011: Outdoor Laboratory property is acquired from the U.S. Army – 100 acres of the former Ft. Ord property are officially transferred to the School.

2013:Always striving to provide an optimal learning environment, York institutes a BYOD (Bring Your Own Device) policy, requiring all students to bring a digital device, such as a laptop or tablet, to class everyday.

2014: York celebrates its 50th Commencement on May 31 with 50 members of the Class of 2014 and a procession of alumni representing 33 classes.